Pocket-knife.



J. E. FULLER.

POCKET KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l3 1913.

1,086,152, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Inventor: JW

by Rwy, KW Mb/ M Attys UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES E. FULLER, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK KNIFE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

POCKET-KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES E. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Knives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to pocket knives and more particularly to an improvement in construction enabling a pocket knife blade to be opened with a minimum of difficulty and maximum of convenience.

In a pocket knife in which a blade or blades have been pivoted at each end it has been especially difficult to effect an easy opening, the usual method being a nick intended to be engaged by the finger nail or pointed implement.

It has heretofore been known that by pivoting both or all of the knife blades at the same end the opening of one of them, namely, the larger, is facilitated by forming a finger recess in the pocket knife handle v near to that end which is opposite the end at which the blades are pivoted. While this construction aided the opening of the larger blade it, on the other hand, involved the very objectionable necessity of a separate back spring for each of the blades, there thus being at least two back springs in a plural bladedknife of this kind. The present invention overcomes these objections and possesses other advantages which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I will first describe one form of embodiment illustrating the present improvements and will thereafter point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a front view of a pocket knife embodying the present improvement, and for convenience of illustration the blades thereof are partly opened to more clearly disclose the construction of the knife. Fig. 2 is a rear view with the blades closed. Fig. 3 is an edge view looking upon the top of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is an opposite edge or bottom view of the same.

The invention has herein been illustrated V as applied to a two-bladed pocket knife, but

when explained it will be seen that the same principles would sometimes be applicable to a greater number of blades. Referring then to the two-blade embodiment shown herein, it will be seen that a pocket knife is provided which has easy opening qualities for the larger blade and which has extreme flatness and compactness by reason of the novel construction necessitating the use of but a single back spring.

The easy opening to which this specification hasreference is the opening of one of the pocket. knife blades by what may be termed a pinch pull as distinguished from the usual opening of a knife blade by engaging the thumb nail in a specially provided nick. By a pinch pull is meant a simple pinching of the blade against its opposite surfaces by the ball of the thumb and finger without the aid of a nick, combined with a pulling action to extract it from the groove of the pocket knife. This capability in a pocket knife'is of extreme advantage not only in rendering its opening more quick and ready, especially under difficult circumstances, but obviating the use of a nick under circumstances where the thumb nail would be unavailable, as for example with a broken thumb nail. Indeed, with a knife embodying this improvement it is quite possible to quickly'open the blade with the use of one hand only.

Generally speaking, the pocket knife of the present invention may be said to comprise in combination the pocket knife handle having opposite sides and grooved for the reception of blades together with a first blade pivoted at one end of the handle and a second blade pivoted to the handle; said first blade being constructed to bodily stand out substantially from the knife handle groove when closed, and adapted to be opened by a pinch pull as described, and said second blade constructed with a concavity at its back edge for a part of its length whereby finger contact is afforded for opening the first mentioned blade by a pinch pull.

The pocket knife handle 10 is shown as having its two opposite sides and as grooved for the reception of blades. A single groove is shown although in some cases this might be subdivided into a greater number of grooves.

The first blade which may be the larger one 11 will be pivoted in a usual manner at one end of the handle 10. The second blade 12. shown as the smaller of the two, is also pivoted to the handle 10 but at the opposite end thereof from the larger blade 11. Being pivoted at opposite ends of the handle a sin gle back spring 13 is suiiicient for the purpose of bearing upon both of the blades 11 and 12. The back spring is shown as a twoe-nded spring centrally riveted, its two ends pressing respectively upon the tangs of the first and second blades. Fig. 1 shows how the presence of a single back spring enables the knife to be made of comparative thin ness and compactness.

In addition to the easy opening feature of the larger blade 11, each blade may be provided with the usual nick,thus the larger blade 11 may have nick 14 and the smaller blade 12 nick 15 for opening it in the usual manner.

The larger blade 11 hereof instead of lying flush when closed is constructed to bodily stand out to a substantial degree from the knife handle groove, as best indicated in Fig. 2. The blade 11 near its outer end or grasping portion 16 is thicker at its rear edge than at its cutting edge and thereby is well adapted to be opened by the frictional pull of a pinch engagement by the ball of the thumb and finger. The major part of the large blade, however, passes within the knife handle as it should for compactness and safety. As shown, the tang end of blade 11 is entirely within the handle groove and the point end is substantially half way in. This leaves a substantial projection at the grasping portion 16. This, however, in itself would almost invariably be insufiicient for opening the blade by a pinch pull especially in a pocket knife where a plurality of blades is employed.

The objects of this invention are accomplished herein by the combination hereinbefore and hereinafter referred to in which the second or smaller blade 12 is constructed with a distinct and substantial concavity at 19 at its back edge for a part of its length. In this way the parts cooperate and the smaller blade affords finger contact for opening the larger blade by a pinch pull. The concavity 19 of the smaller blade is shown as a curved recess and is located near the heavier and pivoted end of the blade so that it neither weakens nor interferes with the satisfactory operation and use of the blade.

In combination with the larger blade constructed as described and the smaller blade constructed as described, are the two sides of the knife handle each constructed with substantial concavities or curved recesses at 17, 18 as shown. The three concavities 17, 19 and 18 are all arranged in substantial mutual registry or alinement and, moreover, are located adjacent the outer or grasping end 16 of the larger blade when the knife is closed. By this construction substantial and ample finger recesses are afforded without obstruction at both sides of the grasping portion of the larger blade so that it may readily be opened by a pinch pull.

The smaller blade 12 while especially constructed with a concavity 19 as stated, may otherwise be of ordinary characteristics and it may lie substantially flush with the knife handle groove when closed, and the side of the knife handle may have a slight recess to give access to the nick 15 of the blade 12 for opening it.

It will be seen that I have described a pocket knife embodying the principles and attaining the objects and advantages referred to. Since the principles of the invention may be modified as to details, no limitation is intended as to such details excepting as specified in the appended claims.

lVhat- I claim is:

1. A pocket knife comprising in combination, the pocket knife handle having opposite sides and grooved for reception of blades, a first blade pivoted at one end of the handle, and a second blade pivoted at the second end of the handle, said first blade constructed to be opened by a pinch pull, said second blade constructed with a finger recess located at the portion of its back edge near its pivoted end, and said handle constructed with finger recesses at both of its sides in registry with the recess in said second blade when the knife is closed, whereby said first blade is easily opened by a pinch pull. 7

2. A pocket knife comprising in combination, the pocket knife handle having opposite sides and grooved blades, a first blade pivoted at one end of the handle, and a second blade pivoted at the second end of the handle, said first blade constructed to be opened by a pinch pull, said handle constructed with concavities at both of its sides, and provided with a twoended back-spring the two ends of which press respectively on the tangs of said first and second blades, and said second blade constructed with a concavity at its back edge, all of said concavities arranged in substantial mutual registry and located adjacent the outer end portion of said first blade when the knife is closed, whereby finger re cesses are afforded for opening said first blade by a pinch pull.

3. A pocket knife comprising in combination, the pocket knife handle having opposite sides and grooved for reception of blades, a larger blade pivoted at one end of the handle, and a smaller blade pivoted at the second end of the handle, said larger blade constructed to be opened by a pinch pull, and shaped to stand out from the handle when closed, said handle constructed with concavities at both of its sides, and said smaller blade constructed with a confor reception of cavity at its back edge, all of said concavities arranged in substantial mutual registry and located adjacent the outstanding portion of said larger blade when the knife is closed, whereby finger recesses are afforded for1 opening said larger blade by a pinch pul 4. A pocket knife comprising in combination, the pocket knife handle having opposite sides inclosing a single fiat groove for the reception of two blades, a larger blade pivoted at one end of the handle and a smaller blade pivoted at the second end of the handle, said larger blade constructed to be opened by a pinch pull, and shaped to bodily stand out from the handle when closed, said handle constructed with concavities at both of its sides, and said smaller blade constructed with a concavity at its back edge, near its pivoted end and shaped to lie substantially completely within the handle groove when closed, all of said concavities arranged in mutual registry and located adjacent the outer end portion of said first blade when the knife is closed, whereby finger recesses are afforded for opening said larger blade by a pinch pull; said handle provided with a single back spring occupying the entire width of the rear of said groove and adapted to press upon the tangs of both of said blades.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. FULLER.

Witnesses R. M. BARTHOLOMEW, D. NELSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

